19 May 2009

Yesterday was a little cooler and so I felt I was in need of some serious comfort food. Who wouldn't be after fighting with the computer all morning as well burning CD's and downloading Office Suite 2007.

There is absolutely nothing that speaks volumes for comfort like macaroni and cheese in my books. This is one of the very few dishes my mom allowed me to cook as a child at her elbow so the mere mention brings back so many fond memories.

I opted for using elbow shaped "gomitti" pasta whose ridges and tubes collected all the creamy cheese sauce in their cavities. I had a huge slab of Washington aged Cheddar taking up room in the fridge crying for attention so something needed to be done!!! I googled Ina's classic recipe and the rest is history!!

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.Slice the tomatoes and arrange on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.
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The transition to BloggerAid-Changing the Face of Famine has been made successfully. We're moving full steam ahead to raise funds for the WFP and the School Meals program. As has always been made clear Giz and Val have no affiliation with another site called BloggerAid and our own goal, and that of our members, is to focus on raising funds for the WFP. We have a new logo designed by one of our very talented members and new support coming in as well as corporate support and interest.

Your BloggerAid-Changing the Face of Famine cookbook is well underway and nearing the end of the first edit. Editors are on two teams and revisions are being made. There’s a lot of back and forth discussion in the editing group and the enthusiasm of our team is electric!!! On our site we are still looking for suggestions about what to name the cookbook and entries for designing it's cover. These will both be voted on by our members so get your entry in!!!

The Art Auction with a Twist invites you to submit your food photo to Lisa at the Lunchbox Project. After May 31st, Lisa will choose a photo to paint and is donating it for auction with proceeds to School Meals. We’ve already agreed on the logistics of the auction management. All monies earned will go through a provider that will pay the World Food Programme directly. The WFP in turn will provide an accounting and update for us so we can measure our progress to see how far we have come to reaching our goals. We hope to have the Art Auction as an ongoing event so stay tuned.

Donations have come in for Lauren's I'll Eat You’s bake sale and if you haven’t already submitted your baking and/or donation, here’s your reminder. More information can be found on the HOME page of our site.

We’re just finalizing the details on branding, logo, form and content details and will be announcing an exciting project that involves our members children and that has the World Food Programme pretty excited.

Giz and Val will be attending a teleconference with the WFP tomorrow (May 20th) for an exclusive conversation with Ute Meir, chief of the School Meals program at the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) headquarters in Rome. Ute has worked for the last 20 years with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO) and the WFP. Around the world, nearly 400 million children suffer from hunger every single day. WFP's School Meals program represents a sustainable answer to ending child hunger and promoting education around the world.

You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author/owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison.

hi I'm an MBA student at UC Irvine. I am working on a project to help the WFP also! We've partnered with Amazon to sell cookbooks and cooking items - all proceeds fight hunger. Here's our story. http://tiny.cc/ixOHz

I was wondering if we could link to your blog and also sell your book on our site. Thanks!-Manisha

mac & cheese has to be the ultimate comfort food. is there anyone who doesn't crave it from time to time? if so, i'd like to meet 'em and give 'em a whack on the back--they're crazy! nicely done, val. classic indeed.

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My blog More Than Burnt Toast has been my passion for almost 9 years and has evolved with me over time as I have gained confidence in the kitchen. Follow my travels through Italy and Greece one recipe at a time, upcoming cooking classes at local Okanagan wineries and restaurants, as well as daily experimentation in my own kitchen. Every day we should be excited about what we are eating even if it just means making use of a wonderful find at our local farmers market. I look forward to getting to know you.